Welcome Home, Prince
by deadeb03
Summary: Bulma has made a dragonball wish to make Vegeta happy ... but Vegeta only sees the very real danger she's created. Will he be able to handle this complicated gift?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"What the hell put that idea into your head?!"

"I thought it would make you happy! You've been depressed and moping around for so long...I just wanted to do something nice, dammit!"

"I have not been depressed!"

"Don't you think after being around you for this many years, I'd know when you are or are not in a good mood? You can't fool me or any..."

The slamming of the door cut off the rest of Bulma's tirade. She just couldn't believe how ungrateful Vegeta could be sometimes. Here she and their children had traipsed all over the world to collect all seven dragonballs to make the wish they were sure would cheer him up. And what did she get for her trouble? Yelled at and a door in the face, that's what!

"I should have just bought him a puppy to kick around," Bulma said under her breath as she headed to her father's lab. There were many preparations to be made, and she wasn't about to let Vegeta's sour mood delay her plans. She knew he would go along with it in the end, no matter how much he griped about it. And, if he refused, she had a handy tranquilizer gun that would convince him otherwise.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Trunks, did you find your father?"

"Yeah. He was up on one of the mountains again."

"So?" Bulma prompted, anxious to get this venture underway.

"He'll be here," Trunks said with complete confidence. "I told him how much Bra and I were looking forward to this trip. I think Bra did a better job of convincing him than I did. I swear he'd do anything she asked."

"She certainly has a way with him, doesn't she?" Bulma laughed and hurried off for some last-minute packing.

"She sure does," he mumbled and dropped, sideways, onto the recliner.

For being the firstborn, a son, and nearly as strong as his father to boot, he felt second best next to his little sister. All the years of trying to prove himself to his father and gain his attention, the new little baby girl won it at first sight. Trunks knew it wasn't fair. He knew there was nothing he could do to change it. He knew...a real Saiyan probably wouldn't be bothered by it.

"Trunks!"

He sighed and covered his eyes with his arm, stifling a groan as a whirlwind spun into the room.

"Trunks, you've got to help me. I can't carry everything I packed downstairs all by myself. It's too heavy," Bra whined, tugging at his arm.

"Bra, didn't mom tell you to pack light?" he asked, sitting upright in the chair. "You can't take your entire room, you know."

"But it's going to take us so long to get there!" she cried. "I'll get bored if I don't have my things! Please, Trunks?"

The wide-eyed pleading of the cute, pig-tailed girl melted his heart. Trunks then knew he couldn't blame his father for playing favorites. Vegeta never had a chance against her kind of power.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"You're late!" Bulma scolded.

"I'm here," Vegeta pointed out as he brushed past her to enter the spaceship.

"Daddy! I'm so excited!" Bra exclaimed, throwing her arms around his waist and hugging him as hard as her small arms could muster before bounding off to take her seat.

"I'm glad you decided to go," Trunks told him. "Mom would have probably gone without you...and just imagine the trouble she could cause."

"Trouble is exactly why I'm going," he admitted in a low tone so only Trunks could hear. "She has no idea how disastrous this wish of hers could turn out to be. We'll have to be prepared for the worst."

Trunks just stared in shock at Vegeta. He couldn't remember ever seeing him afraid or nervous outside a life or death battle before now, and the drop of sweat slowly sliding down his temple was unnerving.

"I know you don't understand yet. Kakarot didn't either..."

"You went to see Goku?"Trunks asked. "Isn't he still training Uub?"

Vegeta nodded. "I tried to get it through that thick skull of his the danger your mother has started brewing."

"What did he say?"

"He said he was sure I could handle it," Vegeta spat. "In other words, he didn't care."

"Come on, you two!" Bulma called from the control room. "Buckle in. I want to get this show on the road."

Vegeta refused to don a spacesuit stating, in no uncertain terms, that a true Saiyan didn't need the limited protection they gave during takeoff. Trunks lowered his helmet, but with one glare from Bulma, he quickly locked it back into place.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"I'm going to train," Vegeta announced once the spaceship left the earth's atmosphere. He pressed a button on the console and the few items that hadn't been secured crashed to the floor from the artificial gravity.

"I'll go with you," Trunks said, quickly shedding himself of the suit.

"No blasting!" Bulma warned. "I don't want to have to fix a hull breach in the middle of space."

"I'm starting with 300," Vegeta warned as soon as the door closed behind Trunks. "And I don't want to hear any whining."

Trunks shed his jacket and it dropped to the floor like a rock in the increased gravity. After a short stretching, he followed his father's lead, matching him in sit-ups and pushups.

"So what do you think we'll find when we get there?" Trunks asked. They were both balancing on one finger, slowly lowering their nose to the floor and back up again.

He wasn't surprised when Vegeta didn't answer. Instead, he began his punching and kicking drills. Trunks sighed and flipped himself to his feet, starting his own routine. They trained, side by side, for an hour before Vegeta spoke.

"Are you still planning on working at Capsule Corp.?"

Trunks stopped in mid-kick. "Yeah. I guess so."

"Such a waste," Vegeta muttered. "Someone with your abilities shouldn't have to be stuck in an office."

"Well," Trunks said, stopping long enough to towel the sweat from his face, "someone has to. Grandpa and Grandma are gone. Mom's great with the technical stuff...but she really doesn't have the temperament for dealing with board members."

Vegeta gave a snort of agreement and grabbed another towel from the stack in the corner. He wiped down his chest and arms, then hung it around his neck. He studied Trunks before saying, "But is it what you want?"

Trunks thought hard about the question. When he was younger, he happily spent as much time as he could training with his father. Even when he played with Goten, it was usually fighting games. Now that he was older, he realized something was missing. He wanted more out of life. But would he find it in a business suit?

"I don't know," he said, answering both questions. "But I know I'm needed there."

Vegeta nodded. "That's an honorable way of looking at it. Just don't let it suck the life out of you," he warned. "You and Kakarot's sons will have to defend the earth when we're gone. Gohan has already gone soft. Don't let it happen to you."

He punched a button and Trunks felt the gravity returning to normal. Without another word, Vegeta left the room. Trunks slid down the wall to sit on the floor. He'd pushed himself more than he was used to, but didn't want his father to know how tired he really was. If he could just rest for awhile, he knew he'd be able to go out and continue to pretend nothing was wrong.

"Can I play in here, too?" Bra asked, poking her head through the doorway.

"I guess," Trunks sighed. "Just keep it quiet. I'm trying to think."

"Dad told me to bring you this," she said, dropping a box into his lap.

Trunks looked down at the prepackaged meal and chuckled. He should have known he couldn't fool his father. Suddenly ravenous, he ripped open the top and dug into the food. He felt the renewed energy flowing through his limbs even before he was halfway finished with the meal.

"You and dad sure eat a lot," Bra commented, watching him stuff food into his mouth. "So what were you thinking about?"

"Working at Capsule Corp."

"Can I work there, too?"

"Maybe," he said, offering her a roll, which she just picked at.

"Are you going to be the boss and tell people what to do?"

"Well...kind of. Even though Grandpa started the company and we inherited it, the board members are really in charge. I won't be able to do anything the board doesn't want to do."

"That doesn't sound like any fun," she said, wrinkling her nose. She then pulled a capsule from her pocket. "Want to play with me? I packed all our video games and the big TV."

Trunks laughed. "You little sneak! You'd better hope mom doesn't find out or she'll probably toss them out into space!"

"Don't worry. I put it all on a retractable mat. I also locked the door, so all we have to do is press the button if someone knocks. By the time we open the door, it will all be back inside the capsule again."

"You are too smart for your age, Bra," Trunks laughed as Bra pressed the capsule's button and tossed it on the floor.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Vegeta stood at the observation window, watching the tiny speck of light grow bigger as they quickly flew closer. He was tense, even after a hard workout in 400 times gravity. Trunks offered to spar with him, but he knew it would be too hard not to break Bulma's rule of no energy blasts. Especially how wired he had been this entire trip.

"That's it isn't it?" Bulma asked over his shoulder.

"Yes." Vegeta took his battle uniform out of the duffle bag at his feet. With a sigh, he ran a hand over the scarred armor, wondering absently how many different fights the marks originated from.

"Don't you think you'd better take a shower before we get there?"

"Why?" he grumbled. "It's just clean sweat."

"I'm not complaining," she said, placing a kiss on the back of his neck. "I just thought we'd all want to look our best when we landed."

He just grunted and continued to dress. Looking out the window, he watched the speck turn into a small ball, which turned into a larger one with a reddish hue. Finally, they were able to make out the two moons next to it.

"Here is my dragonball wish for you," Bulma whispered into his ear. "Welcome home to Planet Vegeta, my Prince."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Something's wrong," Vegeta said, taking a seat next to his wife at the ship's console. "We should have been contacted by now with landing instructions. How could the planetary defense have changed this much if they were brought back just days ago?"

"I've got an incoming message," Bulma said. "I'll put it on speakers."

"Attention spaceship," a voice from the planet below crackled over their speakers. "Do you have permission to land here?"

Vegeta gave a scowl of confusion before pressing the button to reply. "This is Prince Vegeta! I don't need permission to land! What I need is landing pad confirmation, you imbecile!"

"P-Prince…?" There was a sudden commotion and a flurry of voices before a different voice took control of the situation.

"Welcome, Prince Vegeta. You're heading toward landing pad twelve, but I'd suggest you change your course due north to landing pad three. It's nearer the palace. We'll prepare for your arrival."

"That's more like it," Vegeta said under his breath as Bulma made the appropriate course corrections.

As they neared the city, all eyes were scanning the landscape of the planet. Vegeta couldn't believe how much he remembered from his childhood days. He even picked out the crater from the first mountain he destroyed in Oozaru form. The red, dusty landscape would have brought joy to his heart...if it weren't for the silence of his family.

"I guess it doesn't look like much compared to earth," Vegeta said, seeing the desolate planet through their eyes. "We're a warrior race. Environmental preservation was never a top priority."

"It's...not that bad," Bulma said, giving him an apologetic smile at her hesitant reply.

"It looks gloomy," Bra grumbled.

"I think it's great!" Trunks exclaimed, sitting as far forward as his safety harness would allow. "Look at all that space! You could fight for days without worrying about destroying anything!"

"Which is precisely how it ended up this way," Vegeta agreed.

"We're landing," Bulma announced. "Everybody hang on!"

The ship set down in a courtyard just outside the palace walls. There were several cushioned landing pads designed to soften the arrivals of the space pods that weren't equipped with landing boosters. Bulma maneuvered them between two of them with only a slight, teeth-jarring thud.

Bulma opened the hatch and Vegeta strode through with the complete confidence befitting his royal position. Only a handful of Saiyans were there to greet them. They all bowed respectfully, but not before he caught a glimpse of the doubt in their eyes

"Can that really be Prince Vegeta?" one whispered to another. "But he's so old!"

Vegeta gritted his teeth and kept on walking. He had to keep reminding himself that while he'd experienced 48 years worth of life since leaving this planet, to the others it seemed like only a week.

"Who the hell is in charge here?!" he shouted at the last bowed head.

The sheer force of Vegeta's question made the man flinch. He opened his mouth to speak but was scared speechless. He ended up merely bowing lower and pointing to the palace door.

Vegeta growled in frustration at the incompetence he was seeing and headed for the indicated door, his family rushing to keep up. He threw open the door and stepped into the antechamber. Only two other people were in the room, a female and a male with his back to them.

"Kakarot?" Vegeta whispered, completely stunned by the familiar shock of unruly black hair.

The man turned around and walked toward them with all the confidence of an experienced warrior. As he stepped into the light, Vegeta saw the scar marking his face.

"Bardock!"

"My Prince," he said with a formal bow. "Welcome back. I must say you look even stronger than your father."

"You don't seem too surprised to see Vegeta grown up," Bulma noticed.

Bardock just smiled and gave her a smaller bow. "And this must be your family. We have rooms prepared for you. I'm sure they aren't as luxurious as you're used to on your planet, but it's at least more comfortable than a spaceship. Bela will show you around while Vegeta is in conference. This way please, Prince Vegeta."

Bulma smirked as she watched the backs of the two men disappear behind thick-banded double doors.

"I think we've just been dismissed," she said with a short laugh. "And Vegeta let him do it! What kind of royal treatment is this?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"I never knew you to be so formal, Bardock," Vegeta said as soon as the door closed behind them. "Not even with my father."

"Yeah, well..." he dropped his muscular frame into a chair and propped his boots on the table, "Thought it'd make a good impression. It took me two days to come up with that speech and my brain still hurts, so don't expect much more of it."

Vegeta laughed at Bardock's honesty. In that way, he was very much like his son.

"Glad to know you got a sense of humor. You came stormin' in here in a bad enough mood."

"What happened to the landing crew?" Vegeta asked, suddenly serious. "Is there no security set up?"

"They're all gone," Bardock said and calmly picked at his fingernails.

"Gone? What do you mean by gone?"

"We were brought back to life...Frieza's flunkies weren't."

Vegeta thought this over. He hadn't paid much attention to what Bulma told him about her wish, but he came to the conclusion that after wishing the planet back, she only wished the Saiyans who'd been destroyed by Frieza's blast back to life. That meant the entire planet was made up of only warriors, most of which had not been trained to use the advanced computer equipment. Then another thought occurred to him.

"How did you know you were brought back from Other World?"

"The last mission I went on was to purge a planet full of people with psychic powers. I let my guard down and was attacked by one. Now I've got 'em. I'm the only one on the planet to understand Frieza's attack and all that time in the next dimension."

"That's why you weren't surprised I was older."

"I get visions every now and then," Bardock admitted. "Don't always understand them, but I saw you grow up...along with my son." The last was said in an offhand manner, yet Vegeta could detect a hint of disappointment.

"Kakarot was too busy to come," Vegeta said, surprised he was actually defending his long-time rival. "He's training a new generation of fighters to protect the planet Earth."

"Don't you mean fighter?" Bardock asked, then heaved himself out of his chair. "There's only one, isn't there? He isn't even Saiyan."

"No. He's not."

"So..." Bardock crossed to the other side of the room and pretended to look at the display of weaponry on the wall so his back would be to the prince. "What's he like?"

"Kakarot is..." Vegeta paused, the word 'clown' on the tip of his tongue. But this was a time for truths. "Kakarot is the strongest fighter in the universe and, from what I heard, Other World as well. He is a pride for any father."

"That's who he is. I asked what he was like."

Vegeta pondered the question. He'd never seriously considered Kakarot as much more than annoying or a goal to overcome. But as images of him throughout their years together...as opponents and as friends...flickered through his mind, there was only one word that could accurately describe this man's son.

"Happy."

Bardock went very still, his head lowered. Vegeta wondered if he was having one of his visions, but then he finally nodded his head. "Happy. Don't remember feeling that way very often. Wonder what it's like to feel that way all the time."

Vegeta just nodded his head in agreement. He'd only recently let himself accept the happiness in his life. And Kakarot had felt it almost his entire existence. A knock at the door interrupted both their musings.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Your Highness, " Bela said from the doorway. "A meal is being prepared in your honor. That is if you're done with your meeting." She added with a pointed look at Bardock.

"We gotta lot more to talk about, but I think it can wait," Bardock said. "I'm starvin'!"

Bela led the way even though Vegeta remembered well the layout of the palace. It looked just as he remembered from his youth...regal, yet savage. "Why are we going to the guest quarters?" Vegeta asked. "Why not the main dining room?"

Bardock and Bela exchanged a glance. "We thought your family would be more comfortable there," Bela explained. "The rooms are made up for visiting dignitaries..."

"Which my family is not," growled Vegeta. "Did you expect me, your prince, to sleep in the guest quarters?"

"Of course not, Your Highness. Your previous room is ready for your use. I'm sure you'll be more than comfortable there."

Vegeta stopped walking. "My previous room? Why not the King's chambers for me and my family?"

"Vegeta," Bardock interrupted. "You've been gone a long time, but to us it's like you just left. Our ways haven't changed. Only the rightful king..."

"...of Saiyans is permitted in the Royal chambers," Vegeta finished. "I don't care what used to be. This is now, the king is dead, I am here, and my wife is the only reason anyone on this planet is alive in the first place. We will eat in the guest dining room now, but my family will be staying with me in the King's suite. So make it happen!"

Bela looked flustered by the taboo request, but Bardock nodded his assent so she scurried off to meet the demands.

"Declaring yourself king?" Bardock questioned as he followed Vegeta down the hall toward the farthest wing. "Pretty cocky of you."

Vegeta grunted. "Seems to me you're the one they've been taking orders from. Does that mean you're the one I'd have to challenge?"

Bardock just smirked, and Vegeta wondered just how much loyalty he'd gained from his fellow warriors since returning from the dead. He hadn't come here to fight the whole planet, yet he wasn't about to be driven away from his rightful place, either. He just needed more information before he decided exactly what he should do with his wife's "gift".

"I'm just the only one that knew what was going on and was able to keep my head. There's already been a lot of fighting, and some of the lower class were killed in the chaos."

"Chaos?"

"The last thing they remember is a giant ball of energy bearing down on the planet. It wasn't a fast, painless death. Some survived the blast only to be burned alive by volcanoes or suffocated when they were blasted out into space. Next thing they know, they're standing right back where they started and the planet is back to normal. They coulda passed it off as just a nightmare, but all the non-Saiyans were gone. I was the only one who could explain it."

"How many Saiyans are left?"

"I sent people out to gather the rest of 'em together at the palace so we can figure out what to do next," Bardock explained, and Vegeta nodded at his plan. "So far they found only 'bout a hundred or so Saiyans left across the planet. Most of 'em were warriors, and like I said, some are already dead."

"Imbeciles!" Vegeta growled. He couldn't believe how simple-minded these idiots were. "Instead of banding together to save their failed race, they're fighting each other and lessening their chances even more! Don't they realize they're the last of the Saiyan race?"

"Course not. Even when I explained how long it's been, they can't believe Frieza and the rest of the Saiyans are dead. They keep thinkin' he's coming back to tell them what to do next."

"Weak imbeciles!" He paused before opening the door to the guest dining room. "We'll talk more about this after we eat. I don't want it to upset my appetite." Then he added under his breath, "Or Bulma."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"So you're Goku's dad, huh?" Bulma asked as they took their places for the impending feast. Vegeta sat at the head of the sturdy table with Bardock to his right and Bulma to his left. Bra sat next to her mother leaving Trunks to sit next to Bardock.

Bardock's brows drew together in confusion. "Goku?"

"Oh, right! I guess his Saiyan name is Kakarot," Bulma explained. "But on earth, he goes by Goku. It's funny how you look just like him. Trunks, do you have any good pictures of Goku and his family on your phone?"

"Yeah, I suppose." Trunks took his phone from his pocket and began flipping through pictures until he found the one he was looking for, a picture he took just before the last World Martial Arts Tournament. He held the phone for Bardock to see. "There's Goku and his wife, ChiChi. His younger son, Goten, is my age. And that's his older son, Gohan, with his wife, Videl, and their daughter, Pan."

Bardock studied the picture, squinting at the image until Trunks showed him how to zoom in on the faces. He gazed at each family member in turn until he came to the laughing little girl in Goku's arms. "Guess I've got a great-granddaughter," he said. "No Saiyan in history's ever said that." He slid the picture back to his son. "He looks…happy."

"Too bad Vegeta couldn't talk him into coming with us," Bulma said. "But then he's always got something going on. You can't get him to stay still for very long. He's been that way since he was a little kid."

"You knew him growing up?" Bardock asked, handing the phone back to Trunks. Then he squinted his eyes at Bulma and nodded. "Now I recognize you from my visions. You were his battle mate?"

Vegeta nearly sprayed his drink of wine across the table. He coughed and sputtered until he could finally breathe. The slight tint of red in his cheeks caught Trunks' eye, but Bulma was oblivious as she prepared to launch into the retelling of her exciting adventures with the earth's greatest hero.

"Oh, yeah! Goku and I traveled all over together looking for the dragonballs. Of course, he was still a kid back then so I had to take care of him. Although, even way back then he was much stronger than the average kid his age. Still, he couldn't have done it without me."

"Mom," Trunks interrupted, "I don't think your interpretation of 'battle mate' is quite the same as theirs. Am I right, Bardock?"

"Absolutely not!" Vegeta answered. "They were no such thing!"

"What do you know, Vegeta?" Bulma continued angrily. "Every time I start to talk about the old days, you walk off! You don't know what Goku and I went through! The battles, the danger, the endless miles we traveled…"

"Mom," Trunks tried again. He shot a nervous glance over at Bra, who was listening raptly to their conversation. "I think the Saiyan term 'battle mates' may be like the earth term 'friends with benefits'.

Bulma cut off in mid-sentence, her jaw dropping in shock. She raised her eyebrows at Vegeta, whose cheeks burned in embarrassment. He simply gave a small nod as he avoided eye contact. She then looked at Bardock, who was trying desperately not to laugh at his superior's discomfort. "That's not… It wasn't... He was just… He was just a kid!" she sputtered.

"What does 'friends with benefits' mean?" Bra asked.

Bulma tried to gain her composure as Bardock lost control and laughed out loud. Vegeta growled and shot him a piercing glare at taking advantage of his wife's cultural difference. But since Bardock's laughter sounded so much like his son's, Vegeta found it had the same effect on him. He couldn't stay mad at either of them. Neither, it seemed, could Bulma. Bardock's laughter was contagious, and soon Bulma and Trunks joined in.

"There are many benefits to being friends with Goku, but that definitely wasn't one of them," Bulma said wiping tears from her eyes.

Bela rolled in a large cart laden with platters and bowls of a wide variety of dishes. "I'm sorry to say we couldn't get any fresh meat," she apologized with a bow of her head. "There doesn't seem to be any animals left to hunt."

She barely set the food on the table before the two full-blooded Saiyans attacked with the same enthusiasm the earthlings had become so familiar. It was only a moment before Trunks joined them, piling his plate full before digging in. Bulma and Bra carefully eyed the unusual concoctions and chose only the recipes that were somewhat recognizable, both pleasantly surprised by the rich flavors.

"So, Vegeta says you're the reason we're here," Bardock said around a mouthful of meat. "How did that happen?"

"There are these magical balls that when you get them all together you can make a wish," she explained. "But then after the wish is granted, they all fly off to different parts of the world, so they're not easy to find."

"So what made you decide to use your wish to bring back a savage, warrior planet like this one?"

"That's irrelevant," Vegeta interrupted before Bulma could say something that would undermine his pride. "You're here, and now I have to figure out what to do with you."

"Do with us?" Bardock cocked an eyebrow at him. "You make it sound like you just got a new batch of gnarlocks. We're not your pets."

"No, but we were Frieza's," Vegeta pointed out. "Now he's dead and no one knows the planet's here. That means no supplies. How long do you think the Saiyans can exist on their own?"

"Then we'll hire ourselves out again," Bardock said nonchalantly. "Problem solved."

"Absolutely not!" Bulma exclaimed. "I did not bring the planet back just so you can go wipe out other planets."

"But we're Saiyans," Bardock said. "Killing is the only thing we know how to do."

"Not anymore. I found a different way. The rest of you can, too," Vegeta said, standing up from the table. "Come on, Bardock. We've got a lot of planning to do."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Bardock threw open the double doors to the balcony, and Vegeta stepped out. He wore his father's formal uniform of white and red armor, blue cape with red lining, and red shoulder armor. He touched the family crest over his heart as he approached the banister and looked out over the crowd of gathered Saiyans.

"I am Vegeta, son of King Vegeta!" he announced in a strong, commanding voice. "Your king was murdered by Frieza. But now that Frieza is dead, I claim the throne by right of birth and strength! If anyone dares to challenge my claim, let them step forward now to prove me wrong!"

A general murmur broke out below. The remaining Saiyans were confused and distrustful of this man who claimed to be the young prince they remembered from what felt like days ago. Finally, one surly brute stepped out of the crowd and approached the balcony.

"How can you claim to be our prince?" he called up to Vegeta. "Our prince is still a child. You can't be King Vegeta's son. You're even older than he was!"

"I told you," Bardock said. "Years have gone by in the blink of an eye."

"He's talking nonsense again!" a woman's voice cried out. "Stories about us being dead and then brought back to life. It's just a plot to take the throne!"

"I need no trickery to claim what's been promised to me," Vegeta said calmly, a smile tugging at one side of his mouth. "I'm more than willing to give a small demonstration of my power."

Vegeta effortlessly brought forth enough power to slide into his blonde Super Saiyan form. The air around him crackled and surged, forcing Bardock to step back away from him. A collective gasp came from below, and those with working scouters trembled at the unbelievable power reading before they registered as 'Error' and went dark.

"It's the Legendary Super Saiyan!"

"The prophecy is true!"

"His power is unbelievable!"

"He's the most powerful being in the universe!"

Vegeta grinned at their shocked awe, but a voice deep down inside himself nagged that he was playing a fraud. He wasn't the most powerful. Kakarot was. And even though he claimed the title of king as his birthright, he only deserved the position because the strongest Saiyan didn't want it. He couldn't even claim the crown for killing the one who killed his father. The Trunks of the future did that. He let his power drop back to normal and scowled down at his subjects.

"You will address me as King, and we will work to rebuild our planet," he announced. "I've ordered Bardock to take an accurate count of all who are left. Without Frieza's men, everyone will need to be assigned a job formerly done by other races."

"Assigned a job?"

"But we're Saiyans! Our job is to kill!"

"I've never been anything but a warrior!"

"An entire planet of warriors can't survive," Vegeta yelled, effectively cutting off the complaints. "We'd only end up fighting each other until the Saiyan race was extinct!" As it was up until last week, he added silently to himself. "So unless you want your proud Saiyan heritage to disappear completely from history, you will take the job assigned to you and do it to the best of your ability!"

The crowd grew silent as they pondered the future of their race. Vegeta was relieved to see at least a few heads nod in agreement.

Bardock stepped forward. "King Vegeta doesn't want a formal ceremony, but everyone is invited to stay at the palace grounds for the traditional three-day feast. I'll meet with each of you during that time, and the king will be holding court in case there's anything you want to get off your chest."

Vegeta groaned as he turned to go back inside, not looking forward to the upcoming long hours of petty complaining. But before he reached the doors, Bardock made another announcement. "King Vegeta will now introduce the royal family!" Vegeta rolled his eyes but gestured to Bulma and his children to join him on the balcony.

"This is your queen, Bulma of Earth, our son, Trunks, and daughter, Bra. You will treat them as full Saiyan royalty!" he added when he saw the look of disgust on some of their faces at the thought of breeding with anyone that wasn't from their own planet. "Bulma is the reason you're all here in the first place," he continued. "She was the one that wished the Saiyan planet and people back to life after Frieza destroyed you. If it weren't for her, the Saiyan race would end with me...and Bardock's son. So show her some gratitude." Without waiting for the crowd's reaction, he stormed back inside with Bardock and his family scrambling to keep up.

"That went better than I expected," Bardock said.

"I forgot what idiots Saiyans could be," Vegeta grumbled. "I guess I have to thank Frieza for teaching me common sense, or I'd have ended up just like them."

"Do you really think you can take a planet full of warriors and turn them into farmers and scientists?" Trunks asked. "It's a pretty tall order."

"You could always steal them from other planets," Bra commented, skipping along beside her brother.

"Absolutely not!" Bulma exclaimed at the considering look on her husband's face. "I didn't bring the planet back for you all to become thieves, either!"

"We'll see how it goes," Vegeta said with a sigh.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Vegeta sighed for the hundredth time and shifted uncomfortably on his throne. He'd listened to complaint after complaint for hours now, and the more he heard the less confident he was about their planet's future.

"I'm a first-class warrior! Fighting's all I know and all I will ever do! Give me a pod and I'll go out and conquer a planet for you, just don't ask me to lower myself to the rank of a common tradesperson!" said one burly warrior in armor covered in scratches, burn marks, and blood...a testament to his proper station.

"I'd rather keep the first class soldiers as a defensive army," Vegeta agreed. "But from what I've been told of you, Spargus, you no longer have the temperament of a loyal soldier. You're mean, untrustworthy, and arrogant. You've already killed five men since being brought back just to prove you were stronger. That's not the kind of warrior I want in my new army."

"Defensive army?" Spargus spat on the floor at Vegeta's feet and turned to address the rest of the room. "Looks like our new king is soft! He's lost his Saiyan pride...if he had any to begin with!"

In an instant, the massive Spargus was airborne with a hand around his throat belonging to a Saiyan half his size. With his glowing, blonde hair and green eyes, Trunks effortlessly lifted the man upward until his head touched the ceiling. The warrior's eyes were wide with panic at the unexpected second Super Saiyan, and he frantically clawed at the hand pinching off his airway.

"This is how you prove your strength without killing your opponent," Trunks growled in his face. "Losing control of your temper or power is a sign of weakness. We will not tolerate weakness in our ranks." He looked back to his father, still looking bored on his throne. "What do you want me to do with him?"

"He's trash. Get him out of my sight," Vegeta said with a regal wave of his hand.

Trunks gave the offending Saiyan a wicked smile and easily tossed him out the palace window. The man sailed through the air for a mile before he was able to stop his momentum and fly off of his own accord.

Powering back down, Trunks dropped to take his place behind his father's chair. Bra sneaked back next to her brother and gave him a discrete high five.

"Nice one," she whispered with a giggle.

"I thought so," he whispered back.

"So did I," Bulma added in a hushed voice.

"Me, too," Vegeta mumbled, then rose to address the terrified people still waiting for their turn to approach the king. "I think we're finished for today. If you still believe you have a valid complaint, come back tomorrow. Until then, enjoy the feast." He turned in a furl of cloak and left the throne room.

"Wow! I didn't realize being a queen was so boring," Bulma yawned as they made their way back to their chambers. She stretched and twisted her back, trying to work out the kinks in her muscles. "I think my butt went numb about an hour ago."

"Hopefully now that they know there are two Super Saiyans, we'll only hear the real concerns instead of all this childish whining," Vegeta said, then clapped a hand on his son's shoulder. "I wanted to keep your power a secret unless we needed it, but that was a good tactical move. I think Bardock's job just got a lot easier, too."

"I hope so," Trunks agreed, trying not to let his father see how much the simple contact and praise affected him. He also wanted to hide the fact the attack wasn't planned, but a spontaneous reaction to the Saiyan's verbal attack on his family. He hadn't meant to go full Super Saiyan, but the stress and tension of the monotonous hours of listening to them berate his father right to his face had finally gotten to him. Luckily, he came to his senses quick enough to make up the line about control and weakness, so it seemed purposeful. He just hoped nothing like that ever happened in the Capsule Corp. boardroom.

"Do we really have to do that again tomorrow?" Bra asked. "I thought we were going to get to look around more."

Vegeta rubbed his aching temples. "It's not necessary for any of you to be there tomorrow. You can go sightseeing, but take Trunks with you. I don't trust anyone on this planet."

"You don't think you'll need me again?" Trunks asked.

"No. The story will be spread to everyone at the feast within the hour. Probably embellished until they're saying you broke Spargus's neck, too. That should be enough to curb their enthusiasm for at least a couple of days."

"Yay! We get to go exploring!" Bra cheered and ran in circles around them.

"I just hope the air conditioning holds out in the hovercraft," Bulma mumbled. "I've never been so hot in my life!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"The whole planet looks like one big box of rocks," Bra complained, disappointed by the never changing scenery. "At least it's a pretty color red."

They'd been flying all morning in one of their Capsule Corps. hovercrafts, but saw nothing more than rocky landscapes with sparse vegetation along the rare, steaming river.

"This area looks like it was destroyed by fighting," Trunks pointed out. "Look. You can see blast marks and craters where someone was thrown into the ground, but the fighters must have been huge! And over there it looks like there must have been grass and trees at some point. See how it's scorched? It must have happened pretty recently if nothing's grown back yet."

"So you're saying this is one enormous battlefield?" Bulma asked.

"Or training ground. Gohan showed me where he and Piccolo used to train. It looked a lot like this."

Bra snorted. "That's dumb! Ruining the land just to get stronger? Why don't they train like dad?"

"Not everyone has a brilliant grandpa like you," Bulma pointed out. "But you're right. This place is a disaster area. How are they going to plant crops or raise animals on nothing but rock?"

"Maybe there's still good soil underneath," Trunks said, hopefully. "If we can excavate it and work out an irrigation system, it's possible we can get some of the heartier crops to grow."

"But how long would that take? Months? Years? Decades?"

"Mom! Watch out!" Bra cried, pointing to a large boulder falling directly toward them from the top of the cliff they were flying beside. Bulma banked the craft as fast as she could, but the edge of the rock bumped their side and sent the ship into a spin.

"Hold on!" Bulma shouted as she struggled to get control of the dive. Trunks grabbed Bra and launched himself against the roof, attempting to slow their descent. The hovercraft crashed into the ground with a screech of tearing metal. It teetered on the edge of a deep canyon before losing the battle with gravity and falling in.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Hasn't my family returned yet?" Vegeta asked Bardock when he finally called a halt to the complaint session. At least today the concerns were genuine and he felt a small measure of accomplishment when he could make decisions that actually helped.

"No one's seen 'em," Bardock replied. He'd had his own taxing two days assigning argumentative warriors menial tasks to help sustain the planet. "They haven't tried calling the command center, either."

Vegeta felt the small stone of worry in his stomach grow to a near panic. "I shouldn't have let them go without me. They're probably lost."

"Do you want me to go out and look for them?"

"No. I'll go myself. You don't know what to look for," Vegeta answered, whipping off the cloak and unbuckling the dress armor. He stopped walking and looked back at Bardock. "You haven't 'seen' anything, have you?"

The mention of his unwanted ability brought on a vision. Vegeta waited impatiently for it to pass. "I don't see them," Bardock said hesitantly.

"Then what did you see?" he demanded. "It must be bad to make you break out in a sweat like that."

Bardock wiped his forehead with one shaky hand. "The Saiyans are doomed. Maybe we shouldn't have been brought back in the first place. Hurry and find your family," he added and ran off down the hall toward the command room.

Vegeta flew off in the direction Bulma's hovercraft had started out that morning. He searched for signs of their energy, but the higher level Saiyan energy blocked out the weaker earthlings. The fact he couldn't locate Trunks worried him more than he was willing to admit, even to himself. Such a low energy could mean he was hiding, but most likely meant he was either unconscious...or dead.

"Dammit!" he swore under his breath and flew faster over the desert-like landscape, searching with both his eyes and internal energy sense. Just as he was about to give up and try a different direction, a small flicker of reflected light caught his attention. Since the entire area was barren rock, it could only be a man-made object of some kind. He boosted his speed and soon located the source in the rapidly diminishing sunset light. A broken piece of landing gear lay half buried in gravel at the edge of the planet's largest canyon. Floating over the long, deep crack, he was barely able to make out the ship, lying upside down in the shadows of the crevice. With an overwhelming sense of dread, he dove down into the darkness.

The bottom of the ship looked intact, but there was a large dent in the side. He feared he already knew what kind of damage there was to the top. Rapping a fist against the cooling metal, he called out to his family. "Trunks! Bulma! Bra!"

"Daddy! Daddy!" came the small, muffled voice of his only daughter. Following the sound to a viewing window on the side, nearly obscured by rubble and dust, he could barely make out her terrified face.

"Bra! Are you hurt? What about Trunks and your mother? Are they injured?"

"Mommy's seatbelt is stuck. She's okay, but she's hanging upside down and can't get out. Trunks won't wake up and his head is bleeding."

"Stand back!" Vegeta ordered and rammed his fist into the side of the hovercar. The solid, space-worthy metal buckled but didn't break. If he wouldn't have had to worry about the safety of his loved ones, he could have blasted a hole the size of a small car in the machine, but since he didn't know where everyone was located, he didn't dare. He powered energy into his hand and pummelled the dent two more times until his fist finally cleared the wall and he was able to pull back a large enough chunk to crawl inside.

"Daddy!" The small force that hit and clung to his leg reminded him just how fragile the female members of his family really were. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he patted the top of her head.

"It's okay, Bra. I'm here now."

Together they crawled to the front of the craft through the miscellaneous objects scattered along the roof. Vegeta paused at the prone body of his son just long enough to verify he was still breathing before continuing on to where Bulma hung by the canvas straps across her chest and stomach.

"About time you got here," she whispered faintly. "All the blood's rushed to my head and I feel like I'm gonna…"

Vegeta easily snapped the belt and caught Bulma's limp body as she fell, unconscious, into his arms. He carried her away from the sparking control panel to lay her next to Trunks. Bra started to cry.

"Are they gonna be okay?" she asked.

"They'll be fine," he reassured her. "Trunks just bumped his head. And look, your mother's already starting to wake up."

Bulma groaned and raised a shaky hand to her sweaty forehead. "Oh, my aching head! It feels like my eyeballs are gonna pop!"

"Lie still," he ordered and turned his attention to his son. The wound looked bad, but at least it didn't seem to be bleeding anymore. "What happened?"

"A boulder fell off a cliff and hit us. I tried to swerve, but it was just too big."

"A boulder just fell?" Vegeta asked. "Are you sure?"

Bulma started to nod, but the pain was too much. "Yeah. Bra saw it first."

His daughter nodded emphatically in agreement. "It fell right at us. It was huge! And then we were spinning and Trunks tried to stop it. We landed okay at first but then tipped over. He was holding onto me so I wouldn't get hurt, but he fell really hard on his head and wouldn't wake up no matter how hard I shook him. And I tried to help Mommy, but I wasn't strong enough to undo the seatbelt and I didn't know what else to do! And I was so scared!"

Vegeta held his daughter, imagining the accident through her eyes. He berated himself for ever bringing them to such a hostile environment, but it was the boulder that worried him most.

"It's all over now," he said, patting her head. "And Trunks is tough. He's taken harder hits than this. He'll be fine."

"How's the hovercar?" Bulma asked. "Is there much damage? Can it be fixed?"

"No. It's not much more than scrap metal now," Vegeta answered honestly. "Is there any risk of this thing leaking fuel and exploding or anything?"

Bulma gently turned her head to look at the control panel, still emitting random sparks of electricity. "Hit that red switch on the side to cut the power and we'll be perfectly safe. The fuel tank is reinforced and locks down tight, so there shouldn't be any leakage."

Vegeta extricated himself from his daughter's arms and returned to the front of the vehicle. Grabbing the first-aid kit and emergency flashlight, he flicked the switch. The panel went dark, and since most of the windows were buried under rock, the hovercraft was thrown into darkness. He turned on the flashlight and made his way back to his family.

"Hold this on Trunks," Vegeta ordered, handing the light to Bra. She dutifully kept her brother in the ring of light while her father inspected the wound and applied a hasty dressing. "That will do for now. I'm going to check something out. Stay put and don't go outside."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Leaving the craft buried as camouflage, Vegeta silently flew up out of the canyon to locate the source of the attack. He knew there was no way a boulder would simply fall off a cliff. Someone had to have thrown it at his family. Someone who hated the earthlings or wanted to hit Vegeta where it would hurt the most. Someone who wanted revenge for being publicly humiliated.

"Spargus! I know hiding!" Vegeta called out. "Stop being a coward and face me!"

"I prefer the term 'being stealthy'," Spargus answered, emerging from a cave created by giant slabs of rock. "And a coward wouldn't blatantly attack a so-called royal family to lure the so-called king into a fight. No, I'm not a coward. I'm a Saiyan who wants to give his people back their pride!"

Spargus flew at Vegeta, but the prince was ready for the flurry of fists and feet. He blocked every attack easily, refusing to give the other fighter the satisfaction of his inner fury. This might have been a first-class warrior before the planet's destruction, but now with Vegeta's battle history and constant training, the man was nothing more than a pest. Frustrated at not being able to land one punch or kick, Spargus flew backwards, catching his breath.

"Is that all you've got?" Vegeta goaded with a smirk. "You don't happen to have Tuffle blood in your heritage, do you?"

With a roar of pure rage, Spargus brought out his inner power, raising his energy levels enough to wipe the smile from Vegeta's lips. He hadn't expected the cocky warrior to actually be able to back up his bragging with a legitimate show of power. With only a split second to spare, Vegeta was able to raise his own power enough to fend off the next barrage of attacks.

"Fight...back!" Spargus growled between failed attempts at landing punches on Vegeta's face.

"You're not worth the effort," Vegeta answered. Instead of blocking the next kick with his forearm, he grabbed the other man's ankle and flung him away as easily as discarding a dirty shirt. Spargus flew head first into the cliff he'd used to launch his boulder, smashing half of it to rubble.

Blasting himself free of the rocks, Spargus fired a volley of energy balls. Vegeta batted each of them away to harmlessly explode across the barren landscape, being very careful to keep any of them from getting too close to his family. He knew the instant Spargus realized this by the evil grin that spread across his face. Turning his body slightly, Spargus powered up a larger energy ball, pointed straight at the crevice.

"No!" Vegeta disappeared from his spot in the sky and instantly reappeared between the energy attack and his family. He had just enough time to power up to Super Saiyan before the blast hit his arms crossed defensively in front of his face. The energy split to either side of him just enough to miss its intended target.

"Your weak family makes you weak!" Spargus laughed. "It makes you too vulnerable. Too predicta…"

Vegeta launched himself straight at the other fighter, his gloved fist connecting squarely in the middle of Spargus's face. Once more the warrior flew backwards, destroying the remaining cliffside. Vegeta sent his own volley of energy attacks after him until there was nothing left to see but an enormous cloud of red dust painted fiery-orange by the setting sun. When he no longer sensed the other man's energy, he powered black down to his normal black-haired self and turned his back on the battle scene.

"Well, at least I finally got you to fight."

Vegeta spun around just in time to see Spargus pull himself from the hole created by Vegeta's blasts. Brushing rocks and dust from his uniform, Spargus spit blood from his mouth and wiped the blood from his broken nose. He walked closer until the two men were nearly in reach of each other.

"You can't win, Spargus. If we keep fighting, there wouldn't be enough of you left for even the regenerators to heal. Just leave and I'll spare your life."

"I don't want your pity. I'll admit your gold-haired level is stronger than I imagined, but you're not invincible. I've already found one weakness. I'll find more."

"Super Saiyan is just a small taste as to the extent of my power and strength," Vegeta warned. "But if you really have a death wish…" Vegeta's energy crackled as his hair switched back to blonde.

"Have you forgotten we Saiyans all have a hidden inner power and strength?" Spargus put his hands together in front of his chest and Vegeta felt a vaguely familiar energy building between them. "Have you forgotten how many different planets we've been sent to? How many we've cleansed? How many battles we've survived?"

A white ball appeared between his hands, growing larger as he pulled them apart. It was then Vegeta recognized the energy he himself had used so many times. The energy that only faintly called to his own inner beast since he was missing a vital part of his body. The Energy Sphere that mimics the effects of a real moon when no moon is present.

"No need to wait another five years for a natural full moon. Too bad you no longer deserve the call of the Oozaru Transformation, you tailless freak!" Spargus spat as he launched the artificial moon high in the air.

As Spargus stared up at the shining ball of light, his eyes glowing red and his teeth expanding, Vegeta powered up his own energy. Bringing his hands together he shot a Galick Gun attack at the light in the sky. Instead of destroying it, his attack only made the ball of light bigger as it absorbed the blast's energy. Vegeta was powerless to stop the other Saiyan from transforming into his giant ape form. He'd just have to do what he could to keep the monster away from his family.

With a resounding roar, the giant, black animal beat hairy fists on his chest. Vegeta used the time to fly away, sending small, annoying blasts at the ape to lure him away from the canyon. As expected, Spargus forgot all about the unprotected earthlings in favor of swatting the persistent insect stinging him.

"Get back here!" the giant ape roared, red eyes tracking Vegeta's movements carefully.

"Come and get me, you pathetic excuse of a monkey!" Vegeta taunted, easily avoiding the slow fists swinging in his direction. He flew around and around as the giant ape futilely attempted to catch him. He sent a couple blasts in the direction of the ape's tail, but they both missed their mark as Spargus managed to twist just enough to avoid any significant damage.

"Taking the coward's way out by going for my tail? Pathetic!"

Flying high above the ape's head, Vegeta powered up an energy blast, betting on at least some of it hitting, and hopefully destroying, the tail. What he didn't count on was Spargus spouting an enormous attack from his mouth straight up at him. The energy blasts hit each other, pushing back and forth as they each forced more power into their streams.

Vegeta let out his own roar as he shoved a large amount of power into his blast and then suddenly disappeared. By the time Spargus realized his attack had neither resistance or target, Vegeta had reappeared at the base of the tail. One well-placed blast severed the appendage completely.

"No!" The giant, black ape howled in pain and anger as he fell to his knees, shrinking back to normal size.

"Don't ever call me a coward!" Vegeta grabbed the exhausted man by the hair and lifted him up until their faces were inches apart. "I should kill you, but I no longer prey on the weak. If I ever see your face again, I'll make an exception." He flung Spargus by the hair as far away from him as he could. Far enough he didn't even hear him land.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Absolutely not! You are not flying with a head wound!"

"But mom, it's better already," Trunk argued. "I need to check on dad."

"No you don't," Vegeta announced as he landed beside his family. Trunks looked better than when he left, but Vegeta didn't like the way he couldn't seem to stand still. Normally Trunks was very relaxed and confident, now he was pacing back and forth in agitation. Vegeta also didn't like how quiet Bra was, clinging to her mother's leg as her eyes kept track of her brother's movements. "I thought I told you to stay inside and out of sight," he snapped at Bulma.

"Don't look at me," Bulma replied. "Take it up with your bull-headed son."

"Dad, what's going on?" Trunks asked, ignoring his exasperated mother. "I woke up when you went Super Saiyan, but now there's so much power out there. I've never felt anything like it before. It feels like ants all over my body."

After his battle with Spargus, Vegeta also felt the waves of powerful energy emanating from the direction of the palace. He'd realized Spargus probably launched the Energy Sphere high enough to be seen across the continent on purpose, and Vegeta's energy contribution only made it worse. He could just imagine the destruction all those Oozaru in one place would cause.

"It's the energy of the Giant Ape Transformation. It's when we're at our most powerful...and uncontrollable," Vegeta added looking off in the direction of the city.

"You mean there's a giant ape out there?" Bulma asked, holding her daughter even closer. "Like what you and Goku and Gohan turned into?"

"Not just one. Every Saiyan who happened to look up at that Energy Sphere above us will have transformed and is now…"

Vegeta was abruptly cut off at the enormous surge of power directly behind him. Trunks, frozen with his gaze to the sky, was shaking uncontrollably, his eyes flashing red. Vegeta never dreamed it was possible for his son to transform without a tail, but being on his ancestral planet must have unleashed some primal instincts from deep in his DNA.

"Get back in the car!" Vegeta shouted, giving his wife a not-so-subtle push in the right direction. "Trunks is transforming!"

"But he doesn't have a tail!" Bulma cried out as Vegeta grabbed their son's arm and flew as fast as he could away from the fragile members of his family. Almost in answer to his mother's claim, a fully grown tail burst from the confines of Trunks' pants as his clothes shredded from the teenager's rapid increase in size.

"Dammit!" Vegeta swore as Trunks' hair flashed blonde and back again as he struggled against the change happening inside him. As his son continued to grow, Vegeta lost his grip, and Trunks fell the short distance to the ground, landing on his enormous, monkey feet.

The giant, golden-haired oozaru was naked without the convenience of the expandable Saiyan uniforms. Pounding his massive chest, he howled at the fake moon which now glowed brighter in the sky since the sun had completely slipped beyond the horizon. Turning red eyes toward his father, his lips pulled up in a sneer as a growl rumbled from between his pointed teeth.

"Trunks? Are you in there?" Vegeta called, knowing a first time changing was usually uncontrollable, the creature more raging anger than sensibility. Part of him was jealous of his son being able to do what he no longer had the ability to achieve. "I know how powerful you feel, but remember who you are."

Trunks narrowed his eyes and sprang at his father with his powerful legs. Vegeta marveled at how much faster the Super Saiyan Oozaru was than a regular one. Not only faster, but more strategic. It was the perfect match of size, speed, strength, and training. Instead of relying only on brute strength against his opponent, Oozaru Trunks was using martial arts attacks and counter attacks as well as taking full advantage of his tail to both attack and defend.

"Trunks!" Vegeta yelled, dodging yet another chop by mere inches from the ape's sharp claws. "If you can hear me and are ignoring me, I'm going to be very pissed!" He took to the sky and fired an energy ball.

Trunks easily swatted the attack away and opened his mouth to fire his own attack. Vegeta used the few, precious seconds it took for the giant ape to draw in a deep breath to power himself up to a Super Saiyan. As Trunks released the deadly blast of energy, Vegeta ducked under the attack and launched himself straight into the ape's stomach.

Instead of knocking the wind out of his son as planned, Vegeta only managed to bounce off the rock-solid muscle straight into the large hands of his son. Trunks brought his prize up close to his snout and growled, his enormous teeth bared and his nostrils flaring.

"Trunks! Stop it right now!"

The ape paused at his father's strict order, his golden-haired head cocking to one side as he regarded the tiny creature in his grasp.

"Let me go, or so help me you're grounded," Vegeta threatened.

Trunks' fist closed tighter and tighter on his father. Vegeta screamed out in pain as his bones crunched close to breaking. With great difficulty, he was able to concentrate enough to power up to Super Saiyan 2, and struggled to free his arms from the giant ape's grip. When he could move, Vegeta reached out one hand and slapped Trunks across the snout.

"You are a Saiyan prince! You are the son of a Saiyan Elite! Do not let your primal urges overcome you! Have some Saiyan pride and get a hold of yourself!"

Trunks froze, his grip loosening until his father was sitting, gasping for breath, in the palm of his hand. "Dad?" he asked in a deep, uncertain growl.

"Trunks! I knew you could do it. You didn't give yourself over to the beast." Vegeta inwardly sighed in relief, but flew up and out of the ape's reach...just in case.

"I'm stronger than you," Trunks declared, baring his huge teeth in a satisfied grin. "Fight me!"

Vegeta could not foresee any good conclusion to a battle with a power-hungry oozaru, but he couldn't let him sense any weakness, either. The ape's sensitive nose would smell fear on him like the delicious aroma of a hearty meal, sending his primitive beast an order to kill. If only he could transform himself to make the fight even...and exciting.

"All right," Vegeta said with a smirk as he dropped into an attack crouch. "I've never fought a Golden Oozaru before. Show me what you've got."

The giant ape crouched as well, the enormous hands hooked into claws. Energy crackled around and between the two Saiyan warriors. Rocks and small boulders started to shake and lift into the sky due to the increasing vibrations coursing through the ground.

Suddenly, Vegeta stood up straight and looked over Trunks' shoulder. "What the hell?!"

Trunks spun around to face whatever new threat distracted his father from their fight. Vegeta quickly powered up a spinning disk of energy in his hand and launched it at the exposed, vulnerable tail. The attack sliced through the solid appendage like a buzz saw. Before Trunks even knew what hit him, his power rapidly depleted and he shrunk back down to regular size. Completely exhausted from the unexpected transformations, he fell forward onto the ground.

"You're a good fighter and I'm proud of you," Vegeta told the unconscious Trunks as he powered down to normal, "but you are still naive and gullible. We'll have to work on that." Even though his own body was exhausted from the back-to-back battles against transformed Saiyans, he picked up his naked, sleeping son and started walking back to his family.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"So what's your plan?" Bulma asked, shutting the sparking control panel back off. Vegeta had righted the ship, but without the proper tools she couldn't get it airborne again.

Vegeta had pondered the same question as he settled a blanket-wrapped Trunks in a seat to sleep off his unexpected transformation. Would it be safer to fly back to the palace now, under the cover of darkness? Or should they wait until daylight so they could better see any signs of danger? Either way, they were in danger of attack...by the transformed Saiyans roaming the countryside or one looking for revenge.

"We'll stay here at least until Trunks wakes up," Vegeta answered. "I can fly the hovercraft back or I can defend us. I can't do both. Maybe I should have left it buried so we wouldn't be so exposed."

"But I couldn't get to the access panel to see if I could fix it. Too bad I left my toolbox in the spaceship," she said, giving the side of the hovercar a thump with her fist.

"Daddy, is that ball of light still in the sky?" Bra asked timidly. She'd been unusually quiet, avoiding Trunks when she would normally be hanging on his arm. Even now, she sat as far away from her brother as the car would allow.

"Don't worry, honey, Trunks can't change any more," Bulma reassured her with a pat on the head. "Daddy made sure of that."

"Bra," Vegeta asked, a sudden thought occurring to him, "did you look directly at that ball of light?"

She shook her head emphatically. "I only saw part of it from behind Mommy. It made me feel funny...all hot and cold at the same time. It was like the light was poisonous or something. I didn't like it at all."

Vegeta regarded his daughter. Although she hadn't shown the natural tendency toward strength Trunks had, she was still half Saiyan. He wondered if she had gazed fully at the Energy Ball, would she have transformed as well? What kind of oozaru would she have made? Without the training and discipline Trunks practiced, would Bra have been stronger and less restrained, or weaker and more volatile?

Or wouldn't she have changed after all? She hadn't liked the feeling, even though she hadn't gotten the full effects that caused the transformation. He'd never heard any Saiyan being repulsed by the energy. Would the energy that gave Trunks enormous strength and power actually hurt Bra?

"The light won't last much longer," Vegeta reassured her. He sat in the seat nearest his daughter and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "And Trunks is fine now. That transformation is just a natural Saiyan trait. After a nap he'll be back to his old self. All of them will."

"Speaking of naps, it's way past your bedtime, my dear," Bulma announced, handing Bra an extra blanket. "Time for you to get some sleep. I'm going to try for forty winks myself. We're hidden enough in the canyon, don't you think?"

At the suggestion, Vegeta was suddenly aware of how exhausting the day had actually been. The stress of the endless complaints and looks of distrust, the fear for his missing family, two unexpected battles...even though he worried they might be attacked, he couldn't deny how tired he was. He looked toward the door, trying to decide whether he should keep watch through the night outside or if he'd be able to sense danger coming if he staying inside.

Recognizing his indecisiveness, Bra crawled onto her father's lap. "Stay here," she ordered in the innocent way Vegeta could not defy. She arranged the blanket to cover them both and snuggled into his arms. Trapped by a small child, he decided not to fight it any longer and closed his eyes, giving in to sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Vegeta jerked awake, not certain exactly what woke him. Bra gave a sleepy twitch and settled back into a deep breathing. Very carefully, he laid his daughter in the seat next to him and looked around the hovercar. Without the shining ball of energy in the sky lighting the windows, the inside of the vehicle was nearly pitch black. Luckily his advanced night vision allowed him to silently navigate around the debris still on the floor. Realizing the sound that woke him was the soft click of the door, he wasn't surprised to see Trunks was missing.

Outside, Vegeta found Trunks sitting up on the edge of the canyon, his bare feet dangling down, the blanket still wrapped around him. He was staring up at the stars and didn't move when Vegeta flew up to join him. They sat together in silence.

"Did I turn into a giant monkey?" Trunks asked after a few minutes.

"Yes, you did," Vegeta answered.

"Did we fight...for real?"

"Yes, we did."

"Was I stronger than you?"

Vegeta paused before admitting, "Yes, you were."

They continued to sit in silence as Trunks digested his strange evening. Then Vegeta asked, "Did you enjoy transforming?"

Trunks turned to smile at his father. "Yes, I did."

Vegeta nodded. "I barely remember my first time. I was young when they took us for Oozaru training. They made us transform over and over until we were completely in control of ourselves. But I've never seen anyone as in control of themselves as you were on the first change. I never thought I'd ever see a golden giant ape, either."

"Would I change again if I looked at that bright energy ball again?"

"Hard to tell," Vegeta admitted. "I didn't expect you to grow a tail in the first place. Now that it's cut off...who knows if it would ever grow back."

Trunks sighed and adjusted the blanket, pulling it closer around him as if he were cold in the still, hot air. "Ever since we got here, I've felt kind of...odd. Like I belong here, but I don't belong. I want to stay, but I want to leave. I'm happy, but…"

He paused as he searched for the right words to describe what he couldn't understand himself. Vegeta waited patiently, not knowing where his son was going with this, but knowing it was something he needed to get off his chest.

"...but I'm so angry for some reason. Back when Spargus was arguing with you, I wanted nothing more than to rip his head off and use it to smack all the other people who had been disrespecting you. When I turned Super, that was my full intention. I only managed to stop myself at the last second."

"And when you transformed, how did you feel?" Vegeta asked, already knowing the answer.

Trunks tipped his head to one side as he considered the question. "Released."

Vegeta nodded and clapped a hand in his son's shoulder. "And that is the true feeling of a true Saiyan. It's why we make such good warriors. We're born with an inherent blood lust from generations of fighting. You already had the drive to be a great warrior. Now you know what it feels like to be a great Saiyan."

"You feel this rage inside you all the time?" Trunks asked, looking at his father in a new light. He'd always thought him grumpy, but never realized it was hard-wired into his DNA.

"I used to," Vegeta admitted. "I'd convinced myself it was just pride, but when Dabura used it against me, I recognized it for what it was. Pure rage. Being Majin felt almost as good as Oozaru. Saiyans purposefully avoid any emotions that might be used against them, and transforming wiped away feelings like friendship, loyalty, and guilt, leaving the same savage power as the ape. But I was nothing more than Dabura's slave, just like the Saiyans had been for Frieza."

"But you don't seem that angry now."

"I finally realized the greatest strength didn't come from rage like our ancestors believed. When I had something to fight for...that's when I was able to release some of that anger and get even stronger."

"Like Goku," Trunks blurted out, then cringed in anticipation of his father's wrath. Mentioning his greatest rival was never a good idea. Bringing up his name when speaking about strength was practically suicidal.

But Vegeta merely stared down into the canyon where his wife and daughter were still sleeping. The very things that made him both weak and strong. Finally, he gave a nod. "You could say that."

Again they sat in silence. Trunks laid back and enjoyed the peaceful, yet alien, star formations and wondered if one of the small points of light was his own home planet.

"I noticed there isn't any energy coming from the direction of the palace anymore," Trunks observed. "I wonder what happened when everyone transformed."

"Those who weren't killed or knocked out are sleeping off the change. I honestly don't know what we'll find when we return. I've never seen that many Oozaru in one place before, and never without a common enemy to fight."

"I don't want to change like that again," Trunks said suddenly. "Especially not at home. I mean the power and strength felt amazing, but now that I'm back to myself I realize how much danger I put mom and Bra in. I don't want to hurt them by accident just because I looked at a shiny light."

Vegeta nodded in understanding, but puzzled at the phrase 'at home.' Where was home for him now? He'd dreamed of returning to Planet Vegeta, dreamed of taking his father's place as king, dreamed of having the Saiyan army under his command...but now that he had it, he wasn't sure he wanted it any more. What would he do with a Saiyan army, anyway? He didn't want to conquer any planets now that he valued the lives of others. But what else were they good for?

The weight of the Saiyan race's future suddenly pressed down on him. He was the reason they were here in the first place. He was responsible for the planet and the well-being of those who lived on it. He was their king, after all.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"I'm fine! I swear!"

"But you went all weird and even grew a tail, Trunks! A tail!"

"Well, I don't have one anymore, Bra," Trunks reassured her. "And I probably never will again. So stop treating me like I've got some sort of disease or something."

Bra regarded her brother, her head tilted as she decided whether to believe him or not. She'd kept her distance ever since Vegeta brought him back from their battle, afraid his inner monster would emerge once more. She'd never seen anything like that before, and didn't know if she could look at her brother the same ever again.

"Bra, go see what's taking your mother so long," Vegeta ordered. When she skipped out of the hovercraft, he laid a hand on his son's shoulder. "She'll come around."

"I was feeling bad enough about putting them in danger in the first place. Now my little sister is looking at me like I'm going to eat her." Trunks sighed. "No strength or power is worth this guilt."

Vegeta didn't even try to explain a true Saiyan's inherent lack of guilt. Half earthling and raised in a world without Planet Vegeta, Trunks would never fully understand. No one would. Not even a full Saiyan like Kakarot. He wasn't even sure he understood it himself now that he'd lived away from the Saiyan lifestyle for so long. He couldn't even decide whether he missed it or not.

"Well, the engine is a total waste," Bulma announced from the doorway. "Even with my good tools I'd need to replace too many parts. So what do you want to do?"

"Pack it up. We'll carry you two back," Vegeta answered. "That way we can keep an eye out for trouble."

"I'm gonna have to fly in this? While carrying someone?" Trunks asked, tugging at the blanket he'd wrapped around his waist.

"I can help you make something out of these," Bra suggested, holding up a wad of cloth. "I found your clothes. They're ripped down the side, but we can make some ties to keep them on."

Trunks slowly reached for the offered bundle, smiling when she didn't flinch away from him. "Thanks, Bra. That would be a big help."

"It'll be like dressing up my dolls in scraps of fabric from Grandma's room," she said, smiling back at her brother. Vegeta shook his head at how fast she was able to trust him once again, and marveled at a child's ability to forgive and forget.

Once again Trunks was securely dressed. They had ripped strips of cloth from his sleeves to hold the legs of his pants closed at the ankle, knee, and upper thigh. Bra even braided a rope of narrow strips for him to use as a belt. What what left of his shirt made a short, open vest.

"Let's head back and see what damage was done," Vegeta said, and pressed a button on the outside of the hovercraft. In a puff of smoke and dust, the vehicle was sucked back into the capsule it came from.

"If it's anything like what I saw Goku do when he changed into a giant ape, I'm guessing the city's probably nothing but rubble," Bulma said, picking up the capsule and putting it in her pocket.

Vegeta had the same thought, but hoped they were wrong. If the palace was destroyed, not only would they not have a place to live, he doubted they would have the resources or technology to rebuild it.

Vegeta picked up Bulma while Bra climbed onto Trunks' back, and they took to the sky. They flew fast enough to get back as soon as they could, yet at a slow enough speed the females of their family didn't have trouble catching their breath. The rocky terrain was nothing but a blur beneath them, but none of them cared. They were done sight-seeing the barren, desert landscape.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"My God, Vegeta! Are those…"

"Bodies." Vegeta finished his wife's whispered sentence quietly enough their daughter couldn't hear.

Without being told, Trunks had shifted Bra around so he could hide her eyes against his shoulder. The carnage below was the worst he'd ever seen. He tried to make sense of the scene and put the battle together in his mind, but he couldn't imagine any fight this savage.

Vegeta, on the other hand, recognized the destruction at once. Limbs torn from bodies, bodies burned by blasts, blasts reducing the landscape to nothing but rubble...and blood. He'd seen similar annihilation on other planets, mass destruction of entire races, but it was the first time the massacred was his own race.

"Are any of them alive?" Bulma asked as they continued to fly slowly toward the palace.

"Maybe a few," Trunks answered. "Barely."

"Then we should stop and help them."

"And do what?" Vegeta asked. "A couple bandages aren't going to save them. They wouldn't want your help anyway. They lived like Saiyans, they'll die like Saiyans."

"What's going on, Trunks?" Bra asked, trying to turn her head to see what the rest of them were talking about. "Why can't I see, too?"

Trunks kept a solid hand on the back of her head and flew faster over the war zone. "Believe me, Bra, you don't want to see this. I wish I hadn't."

As they drew nearer to the city, the destruction lessened leaving fewer bodies and more buildings. By the time they reached the palace, Trunks was able to release Bra. She searched all around for clues to the mystery of why the rest of her family looked so sad.

"I don't see anything wrong. Where is everybody? Is the party over?"

"It certainly is," her mother answered.

"It looks like everyone left the city before it happened," Trunks pointed out. "But how? Why?"

"I don't know," Vegeta said, then spotted a lone figure standing on the palace balcony. "But I think I know who might be able to answer that."

Bardock had his hand up to his eyes, shading them from the harsh sunlight as he scanned the horizon. As the royal family flew closer, he held up the other hand in greeting.

"Glad to see you survived," Bardock said as Vegeta and Trunks touched down on the balcony and lowered Bulma and Bra to their feet.

"No thanks to Spargus," Vegeta snarled. "He's the one who created the energy ball in an attempt to defeat me."

"So you turned into the legendary Golden Oozaru," Bardock said. "I saw it in a vision."

"That was me," Trunks admitted. Vegeta crossed his arms and glared at the other Saiyan, daring him not to believe his son.

Bardock looked over Trunks' makeshift clothing and nodded. "Impressive. Wish I coulda seen it in person."

"Where is everybody?" Bra interrupted. "It's too quiet."

"You saw?" Bardock asked Vegeta, nodding his head in the direction of the bodies.

"We saw."

"How is it the city is still standing?" Trunks asked.

Bardock sighed. "When I saw the Golden Oozaru in my vision, I also saw the energy ball. I knew everything would be destroyed if they all changed here. I tried to convince 'em all to come inside the palace before it happened, but they don't believe in my visions. So I had Bela announce that Vegeta and Spargus were fighting for the right to be king. They believed that, and everyone took off to watch the battle. You saw how far they got. So many changing in the same place…" he shook his head sadly, "...they let their beasts get the better of them. Even seasoned warriors."

"Weak fools," Vegeta muttered under his breath.

"I went out at first light to assess the damage. I only found a couple dozen survivors. Some came back with me. I got the worst of them in the regeneration tanks."

"Only some of them came back?" Bulma asked.

"The rest went to find Spargus."

"Traitors!" Vegeta growled. His fists clenched in an attempt to contain his fury at the ungrateful members of his dying race. "They probably assumed since I no longer have a tail that Spargus was able to defeat me."

"That was the general consensus," Bardock admitted. "There was a lot of talk about how you dishonored your bloodline by allowing your seed to create half-breeds. Some were willing to bring you back into the fold as king if your…indiscretions…were eliminated. Others thought you were hopelessly tainted by the aliens and wanted all of you gone. One way or another."

"Eliminated?" Bulma exclaimed, her hands on her hips. "You mean they wanted to kill us? Why those ungrateful…" She leaned over the balcony and shouted out toward the wilderness, "I was the one who brought you back to life in the first place!"

Bela walked out onto the balcony and looked quizzically from one person to another. She nodded respectfully to Vegeta before whispering something in Bardock's ear. Bardock closed his eyes and shook his head.

"No. I'll take care of it," he told her. "Get some food ready. I'm sure King Vegeta and his family are starving."

Bela led the way back into the palace. Vegeta held back, waiting until his family was out of hearing range before he turned on Bardock.

"What else is wrong?"

Bardock sighed again. "We've had radio contact from three separate ships since the planet was brought back. All of them knew who we were and wanted to hire our warriors."

"And now that Frieza's gone and no one is holding our leashes, they want to corner the market on Saiyan mercenaries," Vegeta surmised. "And what have you told them?"

"We haven't responded. But one of them just radioed they'll be here within a day to negotiate a deal."

Vegeta crossed his arms and stared off across the horizon. He had less than a day to decide the fate of the planet. The fate of his people. His entire race. Even though he'd dreamed about taking over as ruler since he could remember, he now fully realized what an awesome responsibility it was. It was one thing to settle minor squabbles, it was another to decide the future of the Saiyan race.

"As I see it," Vegeta reasoned out loud, "there are only two choices I can make for our planet. I can choose to let us become slaves again…or I can choose to let us die out."

"Again," Bardock added.

"We can't keep other races from coming here. When they do, we either kill them or make deals with them. If we kill them, we could start an interplanetary war, and we don't have the technology to defend ourselves. If we make deals, the only thing we have to offer in exchange for supplies is our ability to kill others. We'll be slaves again, killing innocent lives just to survive. I don't ever want that for our race again."

"But what else can we do? Now that we're down to only a handful of people, there's no way we can exist without help from the outside."

Vegeta shook his head. "I will never let another Frieza enslave the Saiyans ever again. I'd rather destroy the planet myself before I let that happen."

"At least you've got another home you can fly back to." Badock waved a hand to indicate the barren landscape. "This is all the rest of us have. Once the supplies run out, we'll either have to leave the planet…or die, probably killing each other in hunger."

"And if they leave, they'll just end up killing and using up another planet until that's destroyed, too. These idiots don't realize you have to evolve past senseless killing. You can be a great warrior and still live in peace. Kakarot and I did."

"But only because you thought you were the only two Saiyans left."

The two older Saiyans turned around to find Trunks standing in the doorway to the balcony. "What do you mean?" Vegeta asked.

Trunks stepped out into the harsh sunlight from where he'd been listening. "I've heard the stories," he began. "The only reason Goku settled into life on earth was because of a head injury as a child. He didn't know any other way. By the time he found out where he came from, he already had a family to protect. But you only came to live there because you had nowhere else to go. No planet, no Frieza, and no other Saiyans. Goku was the closest thing you had to family, and no matter how much you claim to hate him, he was the only connection you had left in the universe and you needed him."

Vegeta opened his mouth to protest, but Trunks held a hand up.

"I know. 'Saiyans don't need anyone.' But you did need each other. He helped make you stronger than you ever imagined, and you pushed him to reach new levels. He showed you how having a family to protect made you even more powerful than being alone, and you taught him Saiyan pride and the meaning of his inner strength. Together you made each other better Saiyans."

"Do you really expect those people out there conspiring with Spargus to kill us can live peacefully on some other planet?"

"Maybe not a weak planet," Trunks agreed. "But on a planet of other warriors who have learned to live peacefully…yes, I think they could."

Vegeta's eyebrows drew together as he tried to decipher his son's suggestion, then raised in surprise at his answer. "You aren't really suggesting…"

"It's better than obliterating the race."

Bardock looked from father to son. "What're you talkin' about?"

"We know a species of peaceful warriors that could handle the Saiyans," Trunks explained. "The Namekians. Freiza destroyed their home planet, too. We can ask them if they would allow the Saiyans to share their new planet. The Saiyans can train with their warriors and learn to live peacefully. But they'd have to live by Namekian rules."

"That won't come naturally for them," Bardock warned. "Best we can do is give 'em a choice to live there or stay here and starve. I know what I'd choose, but then I've seen what happens if we don't. Do these Namekians have enough room and resources for everyone?" Bardock asked.

"It's a very fruitful planet, so the Saiyans would have to be careful where they trained, but I know there's enough room," Vegeta explained. "It just might work. If both sides agree."

"So what do we do about the people coming here tomorrow?" Bardock asked.

"I'll have Bulma contact the Namekians to see if we can make an arrangement with them first. Then we'll have to convince the rest of the Saiyans to leave with us. After that we'll deal with our visitors."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Bardock found Vegeta in the control room, scowling at the radar. "Well?" Vegeta asked without turning from the blips of light.

"Spargus and a handful of his followers refuse to leave. They'd rather die here than leave with you."

"Did you tell them?"

"I told 'em if you found out they were killing innocents you'd hunt them down…Saiyan or not." Bardock paused. "I don't think they cared."

"At least I gave them a choice and a warning," Vegeta said, finally tearing his gaze from the monitor. "Tell the rest we leave at sunset."

Bardock nodded and left to deliver the message. Vegeta glanced once more at the radar showing the approaching ship before punching his fist through it. He'd responded to the intruders, warning them the Saiyans were no longer in the business of killing for hire. The leader, a man named Nayvel, assured Vegeta he'd make it worth their while just to meet so he could convince them he was the best replacement for Frieza. That statement in itself made Vegeta blast the communications station.

He'd toyed with the idea of meeting the newcomer just to prove the Saiyans weren't for sale, but couldn't risk Bulma and Bra getting caught in the crossfire. Even though it was too close to running away for Vegeta's pride, the protection of his family came first. And, as king, he owed it to the surviving members of his race to find them a new home and a new future.

"Elder Moori said…" Bulma started, then saw the destruction of the radio and radar. She put a hand on her hip. "Was that really necessary?"

"Yes," Vegeta answered and walked past her out the door.

Bulma rushed to keep up with him. "As I was saying, Elder Moori said they have several islands used exclusively for training. He's going to let the Saiyans have them. He's got some ideas about working to integrate them with the Namekians once they're settled."

Vegeta nodded, but kept walking. Bulma grabbed his arm to make him stop.

"I'm sorry! Okay? I'm sorry I made the wish without asking you first. I'm sorry I only brought back the Saiyans and not the other people that were on the planet. I'm sorry I didn't think to wish back any of the animals they could have used for food. I'm sorry I messed up the wish and now you have to deal with it." She threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "I just…I just wanted to do something nice for you, but everything went wrong!"

Vegeta's chest tightened at the sight of his wife's tear-filled eyes. He'd been so preoccupied with the chaos of the last couple days, he'd forgotten the entire planet was supposed to be a gift. The anger he hadn't realized had been building up inside him began to ease as he tried to look at the situation for what it was meant to be. A present to make him happy.

"You're right. You made one hell of a mess that I now have to clean up. This planet is a wasteland and the people on it aren't good for anything other than fighting. After last night, I came very close to giving up on the whole thing and blasting the planet and everyone on it back to Other World. But I've proclaimed myself their king, so it's up to me to make the decisions for what's best for them, not just what's convenient for me."

Tears started streaming down Bulma's face. She tried to run away, but Vegeta grabbed her wrist. With his other hand, he turned her face toward him so she was forced to look in his eyes.

"Thank you. Thank you for the gift of seeing my childhood home again. For letting me live out my dream of being King of the Saiyans. For reconnecting with my people." He paused to sigh. "And for letting them show me I'm much better now living with my family on Earth than I ever would have been as a mere Saiyan Elite."

Bulma blinked several times until the full meaning of his words sank in. Then she cried, "Oh, Vegeta!" and launched herself into his arms. Vegeta stared uncomfortably at the ceiling during the display of affection, but did not disentangle himself as he usually did. After a minute, he gave in and wrapped an arm around his wife.

"All right, all right. We still have a lot to do before take-off," he reminded her. "Is everything packed?"

Bulma reluctantly pulled away from him and wiped the last of the tears from her cheeks. "The Saiyans have gathered everything they want to take with, and Trunks is helping them with the capsules."

Vegeta continued down the hall and Bulma followed after him. "Make sure all the supply rooms are cleaned out, but leave Frieza's technology and weapons. I don't want to give the Saiyans any ideas. We're not invaders."

"Is there anything you want to take with?" Bulma asked. "Anything you want as a souvenir? Maybe something of your father's?"

Vegeta paused as they reached the intersection leading either toward the spaceship or back into the palace living quarters. Was there anything he wanted? Anything he thought about seeing again all those years since he'd been taken from his father's side? Nothing came to mind. But since he had the chance to pass something along to his children, it would be a shame to waste it.

"You go ahead," he told her. "I'll be there soon."

As he rounded the corner to his father's chambers, he nearly ran headlong into Trunks. "What are you doing up here? You're supposed to be down helping your mother."

"I wanted to take something of yours with us," Trunks said. "But this is all I found other than your training uniforms." He held up a scanner. "You didn't have many things of your own growing up, did you?"

"No," Vegeta admitted. "You don't need things when you could be shipped out to conquer a planet at any time." He took the scanner and turned it over in his hands. "I think this was my training scanner. I would wear it during a training fight and then watch it over to see what I could do better."

"Like the films sports teams watch? That should be interesting." Trunks took the scanner back and fit it over his left ear and eye. But when he pressed the button on the side, nothing happened. "The battery must be dead. I'll work on it later and we can see what's on it."

Vegeta shrugged, only vaguely interested in seeing how he fought as a child. He'd probably end up cringing at his inexperienced fighting style. Watching himself back then certainly wouldn't help himself grow as a fighter now.

"I was just headed to your room to see if there was anything we might want from your parents," Trunks continued stowing the scanner in his jacket pocket.

"I came up to do the same thing," he admitted. "My father didn't keep sentimental things either, but I didn't get a chance to check all the drawers yet. There might be something worth taking from there."

They entered the royal chambers together and began searching the former King Vegeta's desk. There were handwritten ledgers of trade agreements, supplies received for services rendered, and land contracts, but neither deemed them interesting enough to take back to Earth.

"Wait a minute," Trunks exclaimed, unrolling a large parchment across the desk for his father to see. "Is this what I think it is?"

Vegeta started at the ancient writing, faded by age and in a language he hadn't seen since he was a child. It took his brain a few seconds to comprehend the words, but he was able to recognize several of the names and dates connected by lines and symbols.

"It's a complete history of Spargus's family line," Vegeta confirmed. He followed the names with his finger to the beginning of the scroll. "It goes way back before the Tuffle War."

"And there's a lot more scrolls in this drawer. It must be a history of all the Saiyan families!" Trunks pulled the deep drawer completely out of the desk and held it out for Vegeta to inspect.

Vegeta partially unrolled a few scrolls until he found the two he was most interested in. His own…and Kakarot's. Satisfied the information was complete and intact, he returned all the scrolls to the drawer. "We'll take the whole thing."

After verifying there was nothing else significant in the room, Vegeta ordered his son back to the ship as he made one final stop.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Even before the ship's landing gear touched down on the rocky surface of New Namek, Vegeta sensed the confrontation waiting for him. Not from the planet's residents, but the man standing with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face as the dust raised and settled around him. Vegeta stood in the ship's doorway as it opened, his own arms crossed and his own scowl on his face.

"What are you doing here?" Vegeta asked, stepping out of the ship.

"Take them back where they came from. Those Saiyans don't belong here."

"No one belongs there anymore. Which you would have known if you'd bothered to come see for yourself, Kakarot."

"Goku! I didn't know you were going to be here." The Grand Elder Moori emerged from his white, domed house and smiled at his visitors. "Did you come to welcome your kinsmen to their new home?"

Goku spun around to face the dark green Namekian leader. "I can't believe you're okay with this. Don't you know what they can turn into? Don't you know the risk you're putting your people in? When I heard about Vegeta's plan from King Kai, I had to come and stop this."

Moori placed a calming hand on Goku's shoulder. "I'm happy you're still looking out for us, Goku, but I've already made my decision to let them stay. We owe Bulma for taking us in on Earth when we had no home. The least we can do is offer a home to these refugees."

"Refugees?" Goku was clearly puzzled as he looked from Moori back to Vegeta. The Saiyans began to emerge from the ship and huddled together, staring around them at their new surroundings. "You mean they're not…"

"A well-formed, well-trained, Saiyan army?" Vegeta supplied. "No, they're not. These were all I could save from that ruined, dying planet. Until it can heal itself from years of battles and training sessions and become habitable again, they need somewhere to live." He cocked his head slightly to one side, a smirk tugging at one corner of his mouth. "Would you prefer I take them back to Earth?"

Goku's eyebrows shot up in surprise and he waved his hands in front of him. "No! Not at all! It's just...I think I'm missing something here. When King Kai told me you were bringing a shipload of Saiyans to live on New Namek, I thought…"

"You thought I was bringing an invading army?" Vegeta asked. "Thought I would be a power-hungry ruler and take my forces out to conquer planets?" He paused. "You thought you'd be able to stop me alone?"

"Well...yeah," Goku agreed. He gave a nervous chuckle as he scratched the back of his head. "I guess that's exactly what I thought. Sorry about that, Vegeta. So can someone explain to me what's really going on?"

Vegeta sighed. "I should have known a fight was the only way to pry you away from training your new student. Maybe I should have told you that was my plan in the first place so you would have come with us. You could have experienced your home planet and its people for yourself."

"Nah. Earth's my home planet now. It's where my family and all my friends are."

Vegeta opened his mouth to say something, but Trunks interrupted him. "Why don't you and mom go ahead and meet with The Grand Elder? Bra and I can take Goku inside the ship and fill him in."

"Yeah!" Bra cheered and grabbed Goku's hand, pulling him toward the ship. "You've got to see pictures of this place! There's nothing like it on Earth!"

Vegeta gave Trunks a puzzled look, but when his son's eyes flicked toward the crowd of waiting Saiyans, he thought he understood. He gathered the group together, and they all followed Moori to a clearing that appeared to be the town's meeting place.

Goku paused at the doorway and glanced around him. "Hmm. That's weird."

"What's weird?" Trunks asked.

"I thought I felt a familiar energy, but I can't remember where I know it from." He shrugged his shoulders and continued inside the ship. "Oh, well. It's gone now."

Trunks looked over his shoulder and caught a mere glimpse of Bardock's hair disappearing behind the edge of a large rock. He sighed and continued to follow the older Saiyan into the ship.

"What are you hiding from?"

Bardock jumped. "Vegeta! How'd you sneak up on me like that?"

"Why don't you want Kakarot to know you're here? Don't you want to meet him? Maybe even see what kind of power he's learned over all those years? You are his father."

Bardock shook his head. "I may not've had a vision of our meeting, but I can just imagine it anyway. I stopped bein' his father the day they sent him off to purge Earth. Now I'm just another old Saiyan warrior with so many different races of blood on his hands. To him, I'm nothing to be proud of. I'd rather just be proud of him from a distance."

Vegeta gave a nod of understanding and together they headed to the meeting.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"So, King Vegeta, how did the meeting go?" Goku asked standing up from where he was playing in the dirt with Bra.

Vegeta gave a low growl. "Don't use the title if you don't mean it."

"Oh, I mean it," Goku reassured him. "I certainly wouldn't have wanted to make the decisions you've had to make." They sat beside each other with their backs leaning against the ship and watched Bulma try to wipe the dirt off Bra's face before dragging her inside for a bath. "Some present, hunh?"

"Yeah. Some present. A destroyed planet and a race with no future."

"Don't look at it that way. She gave you what you've always wanted. Your home planet and people back. You always said you never really felt like you belonged on Earth."

Vegeta sighed. "But reality is never as good as your childhood memories. Maybe it's because you haven't experienced enough yet to know any better. I looked out at the landscape from the same room where I grew up waiting for it to all be mine, but all I could see was blasted rocks and ruined land. I looked out over the people who called me 'king' and was disgusted at how dependent we'd been on Frieza." He picked up a handful of small rocks and crushed them in his hand. "What did Bulma think I was going to do with an army of warriors anyway?"

"You're the one who kept going on and on about the great Saiyan race. I think she just wanted to make you happy."

"Who said I wasn't happy?" Vegeta mumbled and let the crushed dust fall back to the ground.

"Come on, Vegeta. Think of this as a challenge. You get to be king of the great Saiyan race...and you get to help them turn out better than they've ever been. Just think, one day they could be the best defending force in the universe!"

Vegeta stood and walked to where he could see the Namekians and Saiyans mingled together as they set up the meeting area for an enormous feast. Without the constant orders to destroy, maybe the Saiyan race really could ascend to a better, stronger race of people. If anyone could help show them a more peaceful path of power, it was the Namekian warriors.

Goku joined him and smiled at the sight of the two races working together. "But isn't Elder Moori worried about what will happen during a full moon? That many transformed Saiyans could destroy the planet."

"Their moon is only truly full once a year. The Saiyans have been given a choice to either stay inside on those nights or have their tails removed." He held up his hand to stop Goku's argument. "I know it isn't a fool-proof answer - believe me, I know more about spontaneous tail regrowth than you - but at least the Namekians will be prepared for it. They're giving us a large island we can call our own, so even if someone does transform, their warriors will have time to defend the weak. We'll keep checking in on our home planet to see if it's able to heal itself without the constant blasting we've done over the years. See if it can sustain vegetation and animals again. Maybe one day we can go back and reclaim it."

Goku smiled and clapped Vegeta on the back hard enough the king had to take a step forward to keep his balance. "Listen to you with the 'we can call our own' and all! You really are going to lead these people, aren't you? I tell you, you're going to make a great king, Vegeta."

"Of course I am!" Vegeta snapped, fighting back the blood rushing to his cheeks. He didn't expect the praise from his oldest rival to affect him so much. "I was born and trained for this, after all!"

"I guess you're right. So what will happen with the Saiyans that stayed on Planet Vegeta? If there really isn't any way for them to hunt or grow their own food it's kind of a death sentence, isn't it?"

"Spargus and his followers had their chance," Vegeta growled. "Bardock explained their options and they made their choice. They said they'd rather die on their own planet than live somewhere they hadn't conquered themselves." He paused and Goku raised an eyebrow, knowing there was more to the story. "There was a ship headed there as we were leaving. If Spargus is smart and doesn't kill them right away, he'll get them on that ship as hired muscle."

"But what if it's another Frieza? What if they want to use the Saiyans to destroy entire planets? You've just given them the weapons to do it!"

"Then I guess we'll just have to stop them," Vegeta said with a sly smile.

Goku looked puzzled at that smile for a few seconds until he caught the glint of excitement in the shorter man's eye. He'd seen that glint many times before and knew he had one exactly like it. If the Saiyans got out of line, they would have to go fight them. A smile slid across his own face. "I guess we would. I'll have King Kai keep an eye on them and let me know if they start making trouble."

Vegeta nodded his thanks as Bra came bounding back outside, freshly cleaned and scrubbed. "Can I sit by you at the party, Goku?"

"Oh, I hadn't planned on staying. I left Uub training on his own, so I really should get back."

"I'd bet he wouldn't mind waiting at least a couple more hours, Goku," Bulma remarked. "He probably deserves a break anyway."

"Well…" Goku scratched the back of his head as he tried to decide. At that moment, a slight breeze wafted the cooking smells their way and his stomach voiced its vote. Goku laughed at the insistent growling. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to stay at least a little bit longer."

"You should at least meet your father," Trunks pointed out. He didn't see the deadly look his own father was giving him as he continued, "Bardock's been the glue that's held everyone together and helped convince them to come here."

"My...father…?"

"Yeah," Bulma added, "we pointed you out to him when we first got here. Funny he didn't stick around to meet you then. We told him everything about you. Vegeta, why don't you go get Bardock so they can meet properly before the feast starts." When he acted like he was ignoring her, she crossed her arms and glared at him. "Vegeta?"

Vegeta clenched his teeth and forced himself not to squirm under his wife's questioning look. He glanced at her, then at his fellow Saiyan.

"Vegeta?" Goku asked, eyebrows drawn in confusion.

"Fine! You're going to force me to say it. Your father told me he didn't want you to meet."

"Didn't want to… Why?"

"Yeah, why?" Bulma demanded. "Why wouldn't he want to meet Goku? They're both fighters, they're both good people, they look exactly alike! After all these years apart, why doesn't he want to spend time with him?"

"I think I understand," Goku said. "It's got to do with Saiyan pride, doesn't it, Vegeta?" Vegeta merely nodded. "He thinks we're too different. The only thing we really have in common after all this time is blood, right?" Vegeta nodded again. Goku nodded back, then a large smile broke out across his face. "Good thing that pride stuff doesn't affect me." He laughed as he flew off to find his long-lost father.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

"For not needing to eat, those Namekians can sure serve up some great grub! I'm stuffed!" Goku declared, happily rubbing his satisfied stomach as he followed Vegeta's family back to their ship.

"Me, too!" Bardock replied, rubbing his own stomach. "I can't remember the last time I wasn't on rations."

Bra giggled. "You two look like twins!" They looked at each other with the same amazed look and burst out laughing themselves.

"Damn! Now there's two of them!" Vegeta grumbled, which brought even more laughter from the group.

"Well, I'd better be getting back to Earth," Goku announced. He turned to Vegeta. "It's good what you're doing here. I can already tell it's going to all work out. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

"There is one thing," Vegeta said. "Take my family back with you." When they started to argue, he held up one hand. "I need to stay here...at least for a while. The Saiyans aren't used to being on their own. They need a leader until they get things settled, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let anyone else lead my people."

"Then I'll stay with you," Trunks said. "You'll need all the help you can get."

"What about Capsule Corp.?" Vegeta asked.

Trunks shrugged. "Just think of this as leadership training."

Vegeta nodded, careful not to show the pride welling up inside him. "So Trunks and I will stay until I'm sure they can handle it on their own, then we'll bring the ship back. There's no reason Bulma and Bra need to be away from home that long."

"Sure, Vegeta. I can take them back with me."

"Bardock, you should come with us," Bra said. "Then you can meet the rest of your family, too."

"I'd love to," Bardock replied, ruffling the girl's hair, "but I think I'd better stay and help your dad. You know how stubborn Saiyans can be." He looked over at Goku. "Maybe the next time you come around you can take and show me your home?"

"You bet!" Goku exclaimed

"It wouldn't hurt your sons...and even Uub...to spend some time with some real warriors, either," Vegeta pointed out. Then he remembered something. "Wait here, Kakarot. I have to give them something before they go."

Vegeta led the way into the ship and pulled a box out from under one of the seats. "I know this trip didn't turn out like anyone planned, and I know how disappointed you were seeing where I came from. But I took these for you to remember it by."

He handed Bra a slightly tattered toy stuffed with sand. As she explored the features of the strange animal, small amounts of sand leaked from several worn seams.

"This is the only thing I have left from my childhood. I think my mother made it. When my father decided I was old enough to train, he got rid of all my toys. I hid this behind a loose board in my room. I was surprised I even remembered where I put it. It's a taberu, an extinct animal from my planet. Kind of like a giant pig with claws and fangs that ate anything. Maybe you could fix it up a little."

"It just needs a few stitches here and there," Bra said, hugging it to her chest. "Thanks, daddy."

"I stole this from my father's room a year before I was sent away," he said, laying a delicate, ornamental pin in his wife's hand. "My mother would wear it to formal occasions. I don't think my father even knew it was missing. If he did, he didn't say anything. It's Tuffle-made metal, and the gems are native to Planet Vegeta."

"It's absolutely gorgeous, Vegeta!" Bulma immediately pinned it to her shirt. "I love it!"

"Where the scrolls your souvenir?" Trunks asked.

"No. They belong to the people. Now that Frieza isn't limiting our number, we'll need to be able to pass along our family histories to our children."

While Bulma and Bra gathered what they wanted to take back to Earth with them, Vegeta went back outside and handed Goku one of the scrolls. The taller Saiyan spread it open to study it.

"I had no idea King Vegeta was keeping a record of Saiyan family lines," Bardock exclaimed, looking over his son's shoulder. He pointed out where the writing was a little newer, a little bolder. "And you've updated it!"

"Look at that!" Goku laughed. "There's me and ChiChi, Gohan and Videl, Goten...even little Pan! This is great, Vegeta!"

"Even if you don't think of Planet Vegeta as your home, you should at least know where you came from," Vegeta said.

"Look at all those names! And to think...they're all related to me!"

Bardock clapped a hand on Goku's shoulder. "One of these days I'll have to tell you all about 'em."

"Okay. We're ready," Bulma said, dragging a large suitcase from the ship. Bra followed with her slightly, smaller one.

"I hope you don't have a weight limit with your instant transmission, Goku," Trunks said and dodged his mother's playful slap.

"We'll be fine," Bulma declared, then turned to her husband. "I'll be expecting a call at least once a week to let me know you're still alive. And I don't want to hear any excuses about being too busy, either. You can spare at least five of your precious minutes for your queen, you know."

Vegeta rolled his eyes, but Bulma took that as a sign of agreement. She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss. Trunks tried not to look while Bra giggled. When she finally released him, the redness in Vegeta's neck had crawled all the way up to his hairline. Goku and Bardock laughed at his embarrassment while he gritted his teeth and turned away until he no longer felt his face burning.

The rest of the good-byes were said, and soon Goku, Bulma, and Bra disappeared in a wave of transmission energy. Bardock shook his head in amazement and went to stand between his new leaders, clapping a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Well, King Vegeta, Prince Trunks. Ready to show your royal subjects to their new home?"

Vegeta gave a nod and took to the sky with Trunks and Bardock close behind. As they passed over the meeting area, the rest of the Saiyans and a few Namekians joined them. Soon the sky was filled with flying warriors while The Grant Elder Moori and his people waved their farewell from the ground.

Over the middle of the ocean, Vegeta looked back over his shoulder at the remains of the Saiyan race and was relieved to see anticipation instead of the haunted look of refugees with no future he'd seen on their faces before leaving Planet Vegeta. A new land and a new life awaited them, and they looked eager to meet it.

The sun touched the edge of the blue-green water by the time a large island appeared on the horizon. As they flew closer, the outline of mountains and blue-topped trees came into view. Waterfalls and rivers cut through the landscape and unidentified animals scampered to safety in holes and behind rocks at their approach. The group landed on a beach of nearly white sand rimmed with lush grass.

King Vegeta turned to his people. "Welcome home, fellow Saiyans."


	23. Author's Note

Thanks for reading "Welcome Home, Prince!" I hope you enjoyed it. This has been a work in progress for quite a while. One of those stories I started and stopped many, many times. I finally dug it back out and vowed to finish it at last!

I really had no idea how this story would end even when I was halfway through writing it. At one point I had an image of Vegeta standing in the doorway of their spaceship and blasting the planet to rubble like he did in the first season of Dragonball Z. Kind of a last ditch effort to right the universe Bulma meddled with (and it would have been Bardock's idea). But after I actually had him on the planet with the Saiyans in front of him, I let his sense of responsibility take over the story to save his race. I don't have any plans to pursue a possible future confrontation between Vegeta and Spargus...but, then again, you never know...

Much love,

D


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